is a
Japaneseis a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family. There are a number of proposed relationships with other languages, but none have gained general acceptance...
term meaning techniques for drawing a
swordA sword is a long, edged piece of metal, used in many civilizations throughout the world, primarily as a cutting or thrusting weapon and occasionally for clubbing...
. It is often used interchangeably with the terms
iaijutsu, often translated roughly as the "art of mental presence and immediate reaction", is the Japanese martial art of drawing the sword. At least one author makes the distinction that, strictly speaking, iaijutsu consists exclusively of the portion of combat where the sword is drawn, and that any...
,
battōdō, or
iaidōis a Japanese martial art associated with the smooth, controlled movements of drawing the sword from its scabbard, striking or cutting an opponent, removing blood from the blade, and then replacing the sword in the scabbard...
, although each term does have nuances in the Japanese language and different schools of
Japanese martial artsJapanese martial arts refers to the enormous variety of martial arts native to Japan. At least three Japanese terms are often used interchangeably with the English phrase "Japanese martial arts": "budō", literally meaning "martial way", , which has no perfect translation but means something like...
may use them to differentiate between techniques (e.g. standing or sitting techniques). The emphasis of training in
battōjutsu is on cutting with the sword. All terms are somewhat more specific than
kenjutsu, meaning "the art of the sword", is a term for classical Japanese sword arts , in particular those which predate the Meiji Restoration...
or
kendō, meaning "Way of the Sword", is a modern Japanese martial art of sword-fighting based on traditional Japanese swordsmanship, or Kenjutsu.Kendo is a physically and mentally challenging activity that combines strong martial arts values with sport-like physical elements.-Practitioners:Practitioners...
which more broadly means simply
sword techniques, and is often used to refer to techniques where the sword is already out of the saya.
The emphasis of training in
iaidō is on quickly and correctly drawing the sword, striking, and returning the sword to its
saya (scabbard/sheath).
is a
Japaneseis a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family. There are a number of proposed relationships with other languages, but none have gained general acceptance...
term meaning techniques for drawing a
swordA sword is a long, edged piece of metal, used in many civilizations throughout the world, primarily as a cutting or thrusting weapon and occasionally for clubbing...
. It is often used interchangeably with the terms
iaijutsu, often translated roughly as the "art of mental presence and immediate reaction", is the Japanese martial art of drawing the sword. At least one author makes the distinction that, strictly speaking, iaijutsu consists exclusively of the portion of combat where the sword is drawn, and that any...
,
battōdō, or
iaidōis a Japanese martial art associated with the smooth, controlled movements of drawing the sword from its scabbard, striking or cutting an opponent, removing blood from the blade, and then replacing the sword in the scabbard...
, although each term does have nuances in the Japanese language and different schools of
Japanese martial artsJapanese martial arts refers to the enormous variety of martial arts native to Japan. At least three Japanese terms are often used interchangeably with the English phrase "Japanese martial arts": "budō", literally meaning "martial way", , which has no perfect translation but means something like...
may use them to differentiate between techniques (e.g. standing or sitting techniques). The emphasis of training in
battōjutsu is on cutting with the sword. All terms are somewhat more specific than
kenjutsu, meaning "the art of the sword", is a term for classical Japanese sword arts , in particular those which predate the Meiji Restoration...
or
kendō, meaning "Way of the Sword", is a modern Japanese martial art of sword-fighting based on traditional Japanese swordsmanship, or Kenjutsu.Kendo is a physically and mentally challenging activity that combines strong martial arts values with sport-like physical elements.-Practitioners:Practitioners...
which more broadly means simply
sword techniques, and is often used to refer to techniques where the sword is already out of the saya.
Comparison with iaidō and iaijutsu
The emphasis of training in
iaidō is on quickly and correctly drawing the sword, striking, and returning the sword to its
saya (scabbard/sheath).
Battōjutsu usually incorporate multiple cuts after drawing the sword. Often the focus in any form of
iaidō is on cutting with the draw (i.e. cutting from the saya, rather than first drawing the sword and then engaging an enemy as a separate action. Also called
battokiri, translated as "cutting draw"). Consequently,
battōjutsu students may also practice cutting techniques on real objects (on soaked straw mats), while
iaidō students rarely do.
Significance of -dō and -jutsu
Karl Friday in his book,
Legacies of the Sword, discusses the historical usage of various terms in Japanese to describe sword arts. Suffice it to say, that while in English many people may dispute the use of
-dō or
-jutsu or else ascribe specific differences to the terms
battō or
iai, these differences are not nearly as clear in the original language and the words are often used interchangeably. In general however,
-dō refers to the
way of..., usually including mental and spiritual practices, whereas
-jutsu refers to the
art of..., specifically the actual forms and techniques of the style.
Note that "-dō" began to appear mostly after the Meiji Revolution. The Katana being not allowed anymore, Martial Arts had to turn from "art of killing" into "art of training". Which means "-dō" is used for Martial Arts like Judo, Iaido, Kendo, etc... where the purpose is to train body and mind. And "-jutsu" (like Kenjutsu, Jujutsu, etc...) was meant for Martial Arts which purpose is being used on a battlefield.
History
The origins of drawing the sword from the sheath and cutting on the draw are murky. Although various martial traditions in
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
have legendary founders going back many years, much credit is given to Hayashizaki Jinsuke. He is now enshrined at the Hayashizaki Jinja, a shrine in the Tōhoku region of Japan seen by many modern practitioners as the chief shrine for
iaiis a Japanese martial art associated with the smooth, controlled movements of drawing the sword from its scabbard, striking or cutting an opponent, removing blood from the blade, and then replacing the sword in the scabbard...
. The concept of
battōjutsu may have existed before this time, but it is unclear who was the first person to actually use the term.
Schools
Ryūha, or Japanese martial traditions, which teach
battōjutsu are relatively uncommon in Japan, and less common in
AmericaThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and other countries. This is in contrast to the relatively high degree of availability of open hand training, such as
karateis a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands...
and
aikidois a Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba as a synthesis of his martial studies, philosophy, and religious beliefs. Aikido is often translated as "the Way of unifying life energy" or as "the Way of harmonious spirit." Ueshiba's goal was to create an art that practitioners could use to...
. Here is a partial list of ryūha which include what could be called
battōjutsu in the broad sense of drawing and cutting from the saya, although some of them more often use the terms
iaidō,
iaijutsu, or
battōdō.
Listed in the
Bugei Ryuha DaijitenThe or "Encyclopedia of Martial art schools", originally Bugei Ryuha Jiten , is a catalog of Koryū Bujutsu and Gendai Budō of Japanese martial arts...
(
武芸流派大辞典, the
Encyclopedia of Martial Arts Traditions) as
koryū, or arts developed before the
MeijiThe , or Meiji era denotes the period in Japanese history during the 45-year reign of the Meiji Emperor . During this time, Japan began its modernization and rose to world power status...
era.
- Musō Jikiden Eishin-ryū
, is a koryū sword art, and one of the most widely practiced schools of iaijutsu in the world. Often referred to simply as "Eishin-ryū," it claims an unbroken lineage dating back to the sixteenth century....
-- Traces back to the Hayashizaki-ryū Iai of Hayashizaki Jinsuke (Late 15th century)
- Musō Shinden-ryū
is a iaijutsu koryū founded by Nakayama Hakudō , last sōke of the Shimomura branch of Hasegawa Eishin-ryū. It is to Musō Shinden-ryū and its curriculum that most persons refer to by the term "iaidō", as this term was coined and popularized by Nakayama....
-- Traces back to the Hayashizaki-ryū Iai of Hayashizaki Jinsuke (Late 15th century)
- Suiō-ryū Iai Kenpō -- Founded around 1600 by Mima Yoichizaemon Kagenobu
- Shin Shin Sekiguchi-ryū -- Sekiguchi-ryū was founded by Sekiguchi Yorokuuemon Ujimune.
- Mugai-ryū
is a Japanese koryū martial art school founded by in 1695.- History :The founder of Mugai-ryū, Tsuji Gettan Sukemochi 辻月丹資茂 was born to Tsuji Yadayū descendant of Sasaki Takadzuna, in the second year of Keihan ,in the Miya-mura-aza village area 宮村字 of Masugi 馬杉, in the Kōka-gun district 甲賀郡 of...
-- Founded in 1693 by Tsuji Gettan Sukemochi, who had previously learned Yamaguchi-ryū kenjutsu.
- Jigen-ryū
Jigen-ryū is a traditional school of Japanese martial arts founded in the late 16th century by Togo Chui in Satsuma Province, now Kagoshima prefecture, Kyushu, Japan. It focuses mainly on the art of swordsmanship...
-- Founded by Tōgō Hizen-no-kami Shigetada, its lineage traces back to the Shintō-ryū of Iizasa Chōisai Ienao.
- Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū
is one of the oldest extant Japanese martial arts, and an exemplar of koryū bujutsu. The Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū was founded by Iizasa Ienao, born 1387 in Iizasa village , who was living near Katori Shrine at the time...
-- Founded in the 15th Century by Iizasa Chōisai Ienao.
- Yagyū Shinkage-ryū
is one of the oldest Japanese schools of swordsmanship . Its primary founder was Kamiizumi Nobutsuna, who called the school Shinkage-ryū. In 1565, Nobutsuna bequeathed the school to his greatest student, Yagyū Munetoshi, who added his own name to the school. Today, the Yagyū Shinkage-ryū remains...
-- From the Shinkage-ryū of Yagyū Muneyoshi, who studied under Kamiizumi Nobutsuna in the 16th Century.
- Yoshin-ryū -- from the Yoshin-ryū founded by Akiyama Shirobei Yoshitoki in the mid 17th Century.
Listed in the
Bugei Ryuha Daijiten as arts developed after the beginning of the Meiji era.
- Toyama-ryū
is a modern form of iai created by the Imperial Japanese Army. It is based on Gunto Soho forms developed in 1925 at the Rikugun Toyama Gakko, or "Toyama Army Academy" in Toyama, Tokyo, Japan. The original training and forms were established by a committee...
-- Founded in the late 19th, early 20th century to instruct officers at the Toyama Military Academy.
- Nakamura-ryū -- Founded by Nakamura Taizaburō in the mid-20th century, who had learned Toyama-ryū at the Toyama Military Academy.
Battōjutsu in popular culture
- In the Japanese series and films of Zatoichi
is a fictional character featured in one of Japan's longest running series of films and a television series set in the Edo period. The character, a blind masseur and swordmaster, was created by novelist . This originally minor character was developed for the screen by Daiei Studios and actor...
, the protagonist mainly uses Iaidōis a Japanese martial art associated with the smooth, controlled movements of drawing the sword from its scabbard, striking or cutting an opponent, removing blood from the blade, and then replacing the sword in the scabbard...
techniques when fighting with his shikomi-zue.
- The character Ukyo Tachibana in Samurai Shodown
Samurai Shodown, known as in Japan, is a competitive fighting game produced by SNK for their Neo Geo arcade and home platform. In contrast to other fighting games at the time which were set in modern times and focused primarily on hand-to-hand combat, Samurai Shodown is set in feudal-era Japan...
fights with his sword sheathed, drawing it in a style similar to battōjutsu.
- The character Setsuka in Soulcalibur III uses a Shikomi-zue style katana concealed in the shaft of an umbrella, in a manner similar to battōjutsu. Also, the character Mitsurugi has several stance techniques resembling battōjutsu.
- In Samurai Warriors 2
Samurai Warriors 2 is a sequel to the original Samurai Warriors, created by Koei and Omega Force...
, some of Akechi Mitsuhide, nicknamed Jūbei or , was a samurai who lived during the Sengoku period of Feudal Japan.Mitsuhide was a samurai and a general under daimyo Oda Nobunaga, although he later betrayed Nobunaga and caused him to commit seppuku.-Early life and rise:...
's attacks came out from his scabbard. One happens as a charge attack, one occurs during his normal attack, and two come from his special stance: a super-fast forward cut that leaves a shadow for a brief moment, and a counter.
- In Dynasty Warriors 4 and 5 Extreme Legends, Zhou Tai
Zhou Tai , courtesy name Youping , was an officer who served the Kingdom of Wu during the Three Kingdoms era of China.-Life:...
uses it in his normal, charge and musou attacks.
- In Bushido Blade 2, Gengoro, when equipped with the katana, has a series of attacks and stances from battōjutsu.
- Future Hiro Nakamura
is a character on the NBC drama Heroes who possesses the ability of space-time manipulation. This means that Hiro is able to alter the flow of time. Previously, his ability allowed him to teleport, stop time, or travel through time, but recent events in the series have prevented him from regaining...
in HeroesHeroes is an American fantasy television drama series created by Tim Kring, which premiered on NBC on September 25, 2006. The series tells the stories of ordinary people who discover superhuman abilities, and how these abilities take effect in the characters' lives...
reveals that he trained in Tōhoku in battōjutsu.
- In Rurouni Kenshin
, also known as Rurouni Kenshin and Samurai X, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Nobuhiro Watsuki. The fictional setting takes place during the early Meiji period in Japan. The story is about a fictional assassin named Himura Kenshin, from the Bakumatsu who becomes a wanderer to...
, the hero Himura Kenshin, known as Kenshin Himura in the English-language anime dubs, is a fictional character from the Rurouni Kenshin universe created by Nobuhiro Watsuki. He is the main protagonist of the manga and anime series, as well as the related media in the franchise...
is a practitioner of Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryū (飛天御剣流? lit. "Flying Heaven Honorable Sword Style"), which utilizes superhumanly-fast Battōjutsu-oriented techniques. This skill earns him the title of "Battousai" ("Master of Sword Drawing") during the Meiji Restoration.
- In the video game series Fire Emblem
is a fantasy tactical role-playing video game franchise developed by Intelligent Systems , the maker of Advance Wars , and published by Nintendo...
, the Sword Master class uses a form of Battōjutsu as his or her attack.
- In Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening
Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening, released in Japan as Devil May Cry 3, is an action game that was developed by Capcom Production Studio 1 and published by Capcom in 2005 for the PlayStation 2...
, Vergil's attacks with Yamato resemble Battōjutsu as well as Iaidō.
- In 9 Dragons, members of the Wu Tang Blue Dragon class can acquire a Battōjutsu special attack at higher levels.
- In the anime and video game series Sakura Taisen
is a Japanese media franchise created by Ouji Hiroi, with original character designs by Kōsuke Fujishima and owned by Red Entertainment and Sega that includes video games and other merchandise. The series began in 1996 as an eponymous dramatic adventure video game developed by Sega with a gameplay...
, Sakura Shinguji wields the same method of fighting with her Arataka.
- In the Guilty Gear video game series, Johnny and Baiken uses stances and attacks from battōjutsu.
- In No More Heroes
No More Heroes is the second album by The Stranglers, produced by Martin Rushent, and released in 1977 . It featured a photo of a wreath placed on a coffin with the tails of several rats ....
, the protagonist Travis Touchdown performs movements resembling Battōjutsu during the pre-battle animation while equiped with the Tsubaki MkIII. He does not, however, actually strike an opponant in such a manner.
- In Bleach
is a Japanese shōnen manga series written and illustrated by Tite Kubo. Bleach follows the adventures of Ichigo Kurosaki after he accidentally obtains the power of a Soul Reaper—a Japanese death personification similar to the Grim Reaper—from Rukia Kuchiki...
the anime exclusive character Patros uses a style reminiscent of iaidōis a Japanese martial art associated with the smooth, controlled movements of drawing the sword from its scabbard, striking or cutting an opponent, removing blood from the blade, and then replacing the sword in the scabbard...
.
- In Lupin the Third Goemon Ishikawa XIII
is a fictional character created by Monkey Punch for his Lupin III series. Goemon is the thirteenth generation of renegade samurai, a descendant of the historical figure Ishikawa Goemon...
wields his zantetsuken(katana sword) in a style resembling Iaidois a Japanese martial art associated with the smooth, controlled movements of drawing the sword from its scabbard, striking or cutting an opponent, removing blood from the blade, and then replacing the sword in the scabbard...
and battojutsuis a Japanese term meaning techniques for drawing a sword. It is often used interchangeably with the terms iaijutsu, battōdō, or iaidō, although each term does have nuances in the Japanese language and different schools of Japanese martial arts may use them to differentiate between techniques...
. In one of Lupin's movies Goemon Ishikawa XIIIis a fictional character created by Monkey Punch for his Lupin III series. Goemon is the thirteenth generation of renegade samurai, a descendant of the historical figure Ishikawa Goemon...
even gives credit to Hayashizaki Jinsuke Minamoto no Shigenobu (林崎甚助重信) for creating this style.